Knee Replacement Surgery in Pune
Robotic-assisted, long-life implants. A robotic implant approach with 3-day stay and a typical recovery of ~6 weeks. But surgery is the last step, not the first — start with a orthopaedic surgeon and rule out the simpler fixes.
How it works
You don't buy an operation here — you start with a doctor. Book a consultation first; Knee Replacement surgery happens only if a orthopaedic surgeon confirms you need it.
About end-stage knee osteoarthritis
Osteoarthritis of the knee is progressive loss of the articular cartilage that caps the bone ends, with hardening of the bone beneath, bone spurs and episodes of inflammation in the joint lining. Once the cartilage is gone, bone bears on bone: pain arrives at rest and at night, the leg gradually bows, and walking distance shrinks. A replacement resurfaces the worn compartments with metal and a polyethylene bearing. It treats pain and function — it does not cure arthritis as a disease, and it does not restore a young knee.
When is surgery actually needed?
Non-surgical treatment is not a formality to be endured before the real thing. Weight reduction, a structured quadriceps and hip-abductor strengthening programme, switching to low-impact activity, analgesia chosen with an eye on stomach and kidney safety, physiotherapy and a walking aid buy many people years of good function, and an intra-articular injection helps selected patients. Replacement is considered when end-stage changes on X-ray match the symptoms and the pain limits sleep and daily life despite genuine non-operative treatment. Timing cuts both ways: implants have a finite life and revision surgery is harder, so operating too early costs you later — but leaving it so late that muscles have wasted and you barely walk makes rehabilitation much harder too.
Why robotic, not open surgery
In a total knee replacement the worn ends of the femur and tibia are resurfaced with precisely cut metal components, and a polyethylene insert between them forms the new bearing surface; the kneecap may or may not be resurfaced. Robotic-assisted systems build a patient-specific plan from imaging or from intra-operative mapping and then constrain the saw or burr to that plan, aiming at more reproducible alignment and soft-tissue balance. The honest position on robotics is that the case rests on precision and ligament balancing; long-term evidence that it improves implant survival is still maturing, and the surgeon's judgement remains the thing that matters most.
Your options for end-stage knee osteoarthritis
Non-surgical options are listed first where they exist. Which one suits you depends on your examination and reports — this table is here so you can ask better questions, not to choose for you.
Our orthopaedic surgeon surgeons
Dr. Vikram Shah
Dr. Karan Malhotra
Senior
Dr. Sanjay Kulkarni
Senior
Dr. Arjun Menon
SeniorCost, EMI & insurance
Covered by insurance
Knee Replacement surgery is covered by most health policies. We start cashless pre-authorisation before admission — you pay nothing extra at discharge.
Your recovery timeline
Week by week after knee replacement surgery
Standing and taking a few steps with support on the day of surgery in most enhanced-recovery pathways.
Walking with a frame, knee-bending exercises begin, blood-thinning injections or tablets start, discharge planned.
Wound review. Walking indoors with a stick or frame; the target is roughly 90° of bend.
Most people put the stick away. Stairs, and driving once you can perform an emergency stop — usually four to six weeks, later for a right knee.
Strength and endurance build; swelling and warmth around the knee persist for months and are normal. Final outcome at about a year. Deep squatting and floor-sitting stay limited by design — worth settling before surgery, since it matters more in Indian households than any brochure suggests.
Risks, preparation & aftercare
Every operation carries risk. These are the complications your surgeon will take you through before you consent — they are listed here so you read them without a pen in your hand.
Possible complications of knee replacement surgery
Before your procedure
Have any dental problem treated before implant surgery, and any infection anywhere else cleared. Optimise diabetes, anaemia and weight; stop smoking. Do the pre-habilitation exercises — quadriceps and upper-body strength before surgery translate directly into how quickly you walk after it. Prepare the house: remove loose rugs, arrange a raised toilet seat, a firm high chair and a bathroom grab rail, and organise help for two to three weeks. Anaesthetic and anticoagulation review beforehand.
After you go home
Attend physiotherapy and do the home programme every day — the result is earned in the first six weeks and is very hard to retrieve later. Ice and elevate for swelling. Take the clot prophylaxis as prescribed and keep moving. Report fever, wound discharge, calf pain or swelling, or chest pain and breathlessness urgently. Tell any future dentist or surgeon that you have a joint replacement.
Frequently asked questions
Start with a conversation, not a commitment.
Book a ₹550 consultation with a orthopaedic surgeon — adjusted into your surgery cost if you go ahead. No pressure, no surgery unless you need it.